Netherworld Retrograde

Chapter 160: Chapter 74 - Harvest

Thanks to his strong curse resistance, Li Yelai was at least able to communicate normally with her, unaffected by Little Mad King’s curse.

Instead of keeping a wary distance and filling his words with doubts.

But the pressure Little Mad King exerted on him was intense!

This wasn’t the tension a boy felt when talking to an outstanding-looking girl.

Cheese and Doll were also outstanding in appearance.

Li Yelai got along with them harmoniously.

Although Cheese was a ”veteran driver,” often spouting risqué jokes when off duty,

Li Yelai had gradually become immune and began to try countering her—to the point where he could hold his own.

When Doll took off her costume, she tended to get shy but was very kind-hearted and friendly toward Li Yelai, her meal buddy.

However, sometimes this made Li Yelai uncertain where to look. He needed to have a good chat with her about that.

...

This was also not a matter of feeling pressured by status or rank.

After all, Li Yelai had encountered several high-ranking team captains.

His own team captain, Champion Yang Chen, was upright and enthusiastic in nature.

The second team’s captain, Yin Fire, was well-acquainted with Li Yelai because of the Ark Secret Pile Plan. He was most fond of plotting strategies and was nicknamed ’Old Coin’.

And the fourth team’s captain, Moon Shadow, had a good relationship with Yang Chen, which led to Li Yelai becoming familiar with him as well.

Usually a quiet, handsome man, but could turn into a trash-talker when necessary. If he were to become king in the future, he’d probably be called the ’Trash-Talk King’.

...

It was neither the nervousness toward the opposite sex nor the pressure from higher-ups.

Then... perhaps it should be considered a sense of urgency towards power?

In any case, Little Mad King was somewhat dissatisfied with the rate of Li Yelai’s growth.

Li Yelai could somehow understand Little Mad King’s mindset; due to her curse, she was never trusted by anyone.

Wronged, slandered, doubted...

But despair didn’t crush her; instead, it made her even stronger!

To prove herself, she worked hard to promote her own rank. She threw herself into the most dangerous tasks every time.

Through numerous perils, she grew, allowing her to reach the Sixth Sense level at just twenty-four years old.

She was the fastest-growing Processor.

She would have wished Li Yelai could unlock the Third Awakening in the morning, the Four Awakenings in the evening, and the Fifth Sense by the next day.

Li Yelai immediately retorted, ”If I had that kind of promotion speed, wouldn’t I have twisted into some horrific shape by now? You all would have to hurry up and come subdue me!”

To this, Little Mad King shook her head in response, ”A month and a half after becoming a Spiritual Ability User, you went through your Second Awakening. With that progress, I estimate you can achieve the Third Awakening within this year. If you can maintain high-intensity combat and master your Spiritual Energy more proficiently, the breakthrough may come even faster. Hurry up... Night General, don’t waste your Talent.”

”I’ll do my best,” Li Yelai could only nod in agreement.

It was like being back in his student days, with the study committee member grabbing his collar, forcing him to study and improve.

It truly packed a sense of urgency.

”The next move Giant City might make against the Forbidden Zone, the stronger the better before that.”

”Take action against the Forbidden Zone?” Li Yelai’s heart tightened. Had things reached that point already?

Disaster Forbidden Zones were a civilization and world entirely different from his own.

For instance, the Doomsday Forest, home to a vast number of Extraordinary Creatures living within an expansive forest.

Although the core area was managed by the King of Restricted Zone, the level of civilization wasn’t high.

Therefore, Giant City’s Spiritual Ability Users could hunt Extraordinary Creatures within it. As long as they didn’t get too close to the core area, they would be fine.

Whereas Heavenly Mountain and Black Origin City held comparatively higher levels of civilization. Within the Forbidden Zone, they had their own Legions and cities.

Spiritual Ability Users could only hunt Extraordinary Creatures around the edges of the Forbidden Zone or outside it, lest they provoke an army.

Li Yelai’s Double Blade Knight hailed from Black Origin City,

One among thousands of Knights.

And according to intelligence, they were all Void Realm Creatures, which humans couldn’t kill off entirely, only banish them.

This fact alone was enough to make humanity feel despair and anger.

Armies eradicated by humans at great cost and effort would return time and again from the Void Realm.

On humanity’s side, death meant actual death...

Such injustice!

Hence, even Giant City, a pillar of martial ethics, often adopted a defensive stance towards the Forbidden Zone.

Both sides maintained a careful distance, trying their best to avoid direct conflict.

But now they were saying Giant City was planning to act?

Were they switching from defense to offense?

Was the risk too high?

Or perhaps... the Old Mad King’s condition was truly in a dire state, planning to settle matters while he was still alive!

This was a situation that middle and high-tier Processors had anticipated in their minds.

If the Old Mad King died of old age, No.3 Border City would find itself in the awkward situation of lacking a king to preside over it.

At that point, the three areas within the Disaster Forbidden Zone would likely take action!

Now, with the Old Mad King still capable of fighting, he would probably make a move against a Forbidden Zone before the final deadline.

Li Yelai had thought there were still a few years to stall, but plans had already been advanced...

This roused a sense of tension in Li Yelai’s heart.

”I can’t say anything more, your clearance isn’t high enough. Just don’t waste your Talent,” Little Mad King warned once more, ”lest danger comes and you find yourself powerless...”

At that moment, other Processors from a distance hurried over, calling for Li Yelai to assemble.

Li Yelai looked back, greeted them, and turned around to find that Little Mad King had vanished without a trace.

...

As the operation came to an end, officials began to dispatch more personnel deeper underground.

Effectively removing all kinds of Evil Ceremonies left behind by the Ember Church.